Survive as a Prison Guard in the Game

Chapter 122
Imperial Knights (2)

Castle Obelia.

The servants were busy in the Throne Room. The final preparations for the imperial knighting ceremony were being finalized.

Locke, the man in charge of the Knight’s examination, took a quick look around the chamber, checking the order of the ceremony and the items that had been prepared.

He made his way to Rodwell’s office.

*Knock!* *Knock!*

“Captain, we are ready.”

Rodwell, who had been working in his office, set down the pen in his hand at Locke’s words.

“Very well, I’ll be down in a moment.”

“Understood. I’ll be waiting downstairs with the Knights.”

Hearing Locke walk away, Rodwell rose from his seat.

Stepping toward the window behind him.

He could see Buckerjaw, one of the Four Great Dukes, entering the castle with a number of nobles.

A grim look on his face.

Maybe it’s because he’s a clown who’s always smiling, but it’s awkward to see him like this. It’s a situation where smiling isn’t an option.

“I never thought they’d take away all the identification badges.”

The Bloods, led by Fabian.

From there, they took all the identification plates secured by the other three dukes.

Nine identification badges in total.

With a monopoly on identification badges, Blood organized a banquet and auction them off to the three dukes.

-Iphas took the two identification badges.

-I was unable to learn the details of the contract, I apologize.

He doesn’t know what the agreement was.

But he had a general idea.

The Untouchables are clinging to Pierre and Hekan, blatantly pushing Blood out of the way. Blood, being pushed around in internal politics, would need a strong cooperative partnership.

“Alliance…”

In return, Iphas would have gotten two identification badges, and the Imperial Knights would have seven members from Blood and two from Hekan.

Making a total of nine individuals.

The Imperial Knights have been promised a variety of support, starting with territory, in addition to the title of Count.

Two Dukes who couldn’t get any of their own men into the Order would be embarrassed just to be present.

“How amusing.”

In Rodwell’s drawing, there was supposed to be one blood. Somebody painted over them with a new color.

“Redin…”

He wasn’t sure, but there was a good chance it could be Redin. Although the face that he’d previously identified wouldn’t be present, faces can be easily disguised.

Dangerous elements are being monitored by assistants.

The only person who could sneak into the Empire and ruin their plans was Redin.

“Blood….”

An organization created by Fabian.

And Fabian was a member of a special Burning Hell organization called Cerberus, of which Redin was vice-captain.

‘He didn’t lie.’

When he checked with the Eye of the Abyss.

There was no lie in Fabian’s words.

He truly hated Redin, and with the death of the woman he loved, he had turned against the organization and broke away.

No one could lie to the Eye of the Abyss.

If so.

‘Redin must have used Fabian.’

Redin knows Fabian well enough to have infiltrated the organization under a false identity and managed to manipulate him without his knowledge.

‘Someone in Blood.’

Probably one of the seven who would be inducted into the Imperial Knights.

Rodwell drew the curtains.

He walked over and stood in front of the bookcases beside his desk. Two bookcases. Grabbing both sides, he pushed them apart to reveal a secret compartment.

A scabbard enclosed in a glass case.

It contained the famous sword said to have been used by Redin.

*Crackle!*

Black sparks fizzled out.

It had originally had a pure white scabbard, but after a little bit of work, the scabbard was completely different from before.

Black scabbard.

The Oberg symbol depicted on the scabbard.

Even if Redin were to come back and see this sword, he would not recognize it as his original sword.

“The one who would draw this…….”

That person will be Redin.

Even if there was no one who pulled the sword, it didn’t matter. Because that means there is no Redin in the Imperial Knights.

‘Heh.’

Rodwell grabbed the sword from the case. With the sword in his hand, he slowly made his way out of the office.

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Knights of the Oberg Empire.

Despite the fact that they were just recently founded, they had uniforms prepared in advance.

The Imperial uniform as seen in the game.

It had a colorful white pattern, accented with striking red and blue.

“You can change into these.”

Redin took the uniform the maid handed him and headed for the locker room.

It fit him perfectly, as if he’d been perfectly measured.

When he changed into the white uniform and stepped outside, the maid smoothed out any wrinkles or accessories.

“There you go. I think you can go to the waiting room and wait.”

“Thank you.”

“No problem.”

As he walked to the waiting room, there were those who had changed into their uniforms first.

People from the Blood organization.

Only those with the highest potential among all of Fabian’s people.

“Welcome.”

“No need to be polite. Just act normal.”

He walked over to a seat in the corner and sat down. Afterward, the door opened and two of Hekan’s men entered.

Two identification badges, auctioned off.

In return, Fabian had gained Iphas’s unconditional cooperation.

Duration: one year.

During that time, she will cooperate and help Fabian as much as possible. They had signed a blood contract, so there would be no reneging.

The advantages of the badges were so great that Iphas took them with a bargain.

Eligibility to become an Imperial Knight.

The Imperial Knights under Rodwell will have a key role to play in the future, and it would be wise for them to get it.

A lot of merit.

They would become an integral part of the Empire’s core personnel, and would help elevate the Duke’s yet-to-be-established authority.

*Knock!* *Knock!*

A rapping on the door pulled Redin from his thoughts and his gaze shifted to the door. Locke, the proctor of the exam, emerged.

“The ceremonial knighting will begin now, if you’ll all please come outside and line up.”

At Locke’s words, the group of knights filed out.

They lined up according to the number on their identification badges.

Since there was no number one, Redin stood at the front, followed by the rest of the knights except for those with an empty number.

“Let’s go.”

Following Locke, they walked to the front of the throne room where the ceremony would be held.

Standing in front of the door, he paused.

*Creak!*

The massive doors swung open, revealing a lavishly decorated throne room. Within were many people clapping, including the Four Dukes.

*Clap!* *Clap!* *Clap!*

They walked to the sound of applause.

Walking down the red carpet that had been laid out in the spacious throne room to the center, they stood horizontally facing the emperor’s throne.

He at the center.

Then, one by one, the people behind him moved to the left, then to the right. When the line was perfectly formed, Locke, who had been assigned to facilitate, announced.

“His Majesty the Emperor is entering.”

With the sound of the orchestra playing, Himus, wearing a golden crown, strode in and sat down in the golden chair in front of them.

“We will now begin the knighting ceremony, which will begin with the playing of…….”

National Anthem of the Oberg Empire.

A minute’s silence for the Founding Emperor.

Followed by a series of basic rituals.

Finally, the main knighting ceremony began.

The Emperor rose from his throne and walked over to the knights, all of whom dropped to one knee.

*Tap!*

*Tap!*

*Tap!*

On both chests and the head.

Whenever the Emperor’s sword touched a knight, they shouted their allegiance and proclaimed they were now Imperial Knights.

“Salute.”

The Emperor then conferred the medals.

Upon completion of their oaths, the knights pinned their medals to their chests.

He glanced at Rodwell out of the corner of his eye.

This was usually the responsibility of the Knight Commander, but instead he stood in the corner, watching them coolly.

It was like a scrutinizing appraisal.

“Next up is the Knight Commander’s speech.”

Rodwell stepped forward as Locke announced, clearing his throat as he stood in front of the projection artifact.

“Hmph. I have only one thing to say to you, as Knights of the Empire. Always act with the Empire at your heart.”

He concluded his blunt address.

“And with that, I’d like to select a Knight Commander to succeed me.”

The stunning words were unexpected.

There was a murmur from the nobles watching on the sidelines. Glancing over, he saw that Buckerjaw and Jeff’s faces were turning sour.

“This sword is one of the famous swords that the first emperor had. If anyone can draw this sword, which cannot be drawn by anyone else, I will hand it over to them, along with the position.”

‘Was there such a sword?’

He glanced at the sword Rodwell held. It was black, with the Empire crest on the scabbard. It had a common appearance, but the feel of the blade was unusual.

Something like the unusual sensation he’d felt with Harungel’s famous sword.

*Thump!*

*Clunk!*

Rodwell held out the sword starting from the left.

One by one, they tried to unsheathe the sword, but it turned out to be no easy task.

No matter how hard they tried, the scabbard would not budge.

“Ugh!”

“Here.”

Rodwell passed the sword to the next knight.

One after another, each knight failed.

Slowly, he watched the sword move closer and closer to him, waiting for his turn. Rodwell came in front of him and handed Redin the sword he was holding.

A piercing glint in his eye.

He was prepared for the Eye of the Abyss, so he stared at Rodwell calmly and grabbed the sword.

*Ding*

The moment he gripped the scabbard and sword hilt.

A question mark appeared in his mind.

A familiar grip, one that he’d wielded for so long he couldn’t fail to recognize it.

Calmly, he lowered his head and looked at the sword.

Harungel’s first famous sword.

Cairo.

The sword he gave to Isabelle in Dryad Village to signify his death. He wondered why Cairo was here when it was supposed to be sent back to Burning Hell.

And in such an unrecognizable shell.

“Pull it out.”

Rodwell’s voice, both acidic and viscous, was ominous.

Though he can’t read his mind.

Something in his body warned him of danger.

His mind raced, and he came to one conclusion based on the limited information he had.

Suspicion.

Cairo was a sword that could not be wielded by anyone but him. Rodwell must have thought he’d infiltrated this place, and he must have orchestrated this.

His heart raced, sending a chill down his spine.

‘Huu.’

He had no intention of taking the Knight Commander’s position anyway. Tensing his muscles, he gritted his teeth as he pretended to pull out his sword.

Putting on a good act, he scanned the room and let out a harsh breath.

“Phew…. I’m sorry.”

“Never mind.”

A slightly doubtful look.

And then.

Something green flashed in Rodwell’s eyes. He intuitively sensed that it was the Abyssal Eye.

[Fruit of False Truth Triggered].

With the message, he looked into Rodwell’s eyes, feeling reassured.

A false memory of his own creation.

Instead of Redin, he will find the memory of a newly created persona, and accept it fully as that person.

“……hmm.”

‘Was the result not what he expected?’

Rodwell’s mouth twitched slightly as he let out a small hum.

He seems to have avoided suspicion.

Handing the sword in his hand to Rodwell. The moment his pinky finger touched Rodwell’s hand.

He used the Copy skill.

Rodwell’s status window popped up in front of him.